TORONTO - Jason Maghanoy has many stories to tell. And so did 56 other playwrights from across Canada.

Each were from various cultural backgrounds, and each wanted to share their special tales at this year’s prestigious CrossCurrents Festival held at the Factory Theatre on April 1 to 9.

The only festival of its kind in Toronto, CrossCurrents celebrated its fifth year of launching new plays from emerging and established writers of colour from across the nation.

But only seven authors caught the eye of the discerning judging team and thankfully, Jason was one of them. And just what does Jason have to say?

Surprisingly enough, his play, Dust, which premiered at the festival, featured the talents of fellow Filipino-Canadians, Jennifer Villaverde and Byron Abalos, but the focus was not on Filipino culture.

Dust took center stage on April 6. Dust is about two soldiers who meet and fall in love at an Abu Ghraib prison.

So unlike most Filipino literature of today, there are no young debutantes in frilly white dresses. No families dining on a suckling pig. No elderly Lolos telling tales of the old country. Just a shocking juxtaposition of romance set in a backdrop of a war torn country.

“My life colors all of my stories,” said Jason.

“Telling stories about the war in Iraq became important to me when I was studying at the National Theatre School,” he said.

The school is just so focused that sometimes there’s a disconnect from current events,” he added,

When he began writing for the McGill Daily newspaper, he became learned in the impending war in Iraq.

His mission was not to make his anti-war message overt, but inherent in what happens to these young people in the action of the play.

“I wanted to find out what it would be like to be pushed into barbarity; to be 18 years old and a killing machine,” said Jason.

“If I crossed that line -– from a person to a killer -– what would the implications be?”

While Dust and his other recent piece, "Gas are war-centric", Jason is open to the possibilities of writing about his experiences as a Filipino-Canadian.

At 25 years old, he has never experienced being a Balikbayan and he looks forward to releasing his inner Filipino.

“There’s talk of me going to the Philippines this summer to accompany my grandfather,” quipped Jason.

“That in itself is the makings of another play,” he added.

PINOYS RULE~~~!!!!

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